3 Steps to Fix A High CTR But Low Conversion Rate

Fact: This guy can’t fix your problem with a high CTR but low conversion rate…only you can. (image source)

Your click-through rate (CTR) rocks. Well, at least you think it does. You see the numbers going up and your wallet getting thinner…but you aren’t converting. What’s up with that? Here are 3 steps to fix a high CTR but low conversion rate.

1. Keyword Research

CTR is often used to show the success or failure of a campaign. However, it isn’t necessarily the best predictor of success. You still will want to focus on getting a decent CTR, but make sure you are getting the right CTR.

What do I mean by that?

Well, you want the right people clicking on your ads. Do your homework. Go after the long-tail keywords first to target your audiences that are most likely to buy your product or service.

If you’re targeting the right people with the right incentives on your text ads, your CTR will remain high and your conversion rate will increase. This happens since you will now be getting the right people to click on your ads with the highest possibility of conversion.

2. Landing Page Optimization

Here is a section where I find most companies fail. When you are getting people to your site or landing page from the ads, you want them to convert. After all, paying for clicks and not converting on them is almost as bad as Fix-It Felix losing his hammer!

However, you can’t send them to a text heavy, content loaded, confusing page and expect to be successful.

Send them somewhere specific with a VERY clear call to action telling the visitor EXACTLY what you want them to do. Keep it simple. The cliche idea of “less is more” is accurate when it comes to landing pages.

If you can, split-test this page with another variant so you can hone in on what converts the best for your visitors. You’ll be surprised with how quickly you can turn around a high CTR but low conversion rate by just working on the landing page a bit.

3. One-to-One-to-One Relationship

This is one of our little secrets that can make a significant impact on the overall success of your PPC campaign. Here’s how it works:

• Step 1: Match the top 25 (for starters) desired Search Queries with the keywords/ad groups.
• Step 2: Match the text ad with the target keyword. Have the exact keyword in your text ad at least once.
• Step 3: Match the landing page with the text ad (have the keyword/similar text from the ad at least once or twice on the landing page).

We’ve found that by having a one-to-one-to-one relationship, the customer will receive a similar experience across the board. If he is searching for yellow boots, then the ad should be about yellow boots as well as the landing page.

I’ve found these steps have been critical in fixing a high CTR but low conversion rate.  Your target audience wants a nice simple experience from search to conversion. Give them that experience and you’ll be successful.